29-inch Walleye Takes 3 Anglers 5 Days to Land

A 29-inch walleye is a really nice fish. But it shouldn’t take three anglers to land it.

It definitely shouldn’t take five days to haul in. If you haven’t figured it out, there’s a lot more to this story than just three anglers, five days, and a 29-inch walleye.

The epic fish tale took place in May in Round Lake, Minnesota. It started when Al Pint, line in the water, set his pole on his boat to grab a beverage.

When he turned back, the rod was heading into the depths of the lake.

“We found ’em and I dropped the anchor so we could stay on ’em,” Pint says. “I was using a slip bobber, so I didn’t think twice about setting the pole down to reach for a beer. Then I looked back and the pole is flying over the side and I see it heading for deep water. I figured it was a big pike. I kissed that pole goodbye.”

Five days later, another group of anglers was fishing near the same spot. That’s when Dave Youngbauer thought he had snagged his line. His friend, Joe Harris, got the net, just in case.

What came up? You guessed it, a fishing pole.

Harris hauled in the rod and noticed that the rod was bouncing. So, he did what any angler would do. He reeled in the 29-inch walleye on the hook. The anglers say the fish was a bit skinny, but full of fight. The two cut the line, took some photos and let the fish go.

The anglers still had the pole, to which Pint had attached an address label.

Pint didn’t live at the address on the label any more, but the guy who had bought his house got in touch with Pint.